Job Description

Summary: The incumbent should have a minimum of 5 years of experience in management of programmes, fund raising and business development, stakeholder relationship in the non-profit sector, interacting with other stakeholders such as the government or Parliament. They should be capable to establish programming goals aligned to the organization's strategic objectives, conducting regular reviews with programme leads and coordinating the programmes staff for goal setting. Working closely with the other colleagues in management, the Project Manager approves activities for implementation and then supports execution of activities accordingly. In addition to planning, the Project Manager is responsible for carrying out other project management functions, including participating in key meetings, preparing and submitting donor required documents such as proposals/concept notes including modifications, reporting in a timely and accurate manner, reviewing project expenditures on a regular basis, managing project staff, ensuring strong stakeholder relations, and ensuring proper management of projects is carried out throughout the project’s lifecycle. Overall, he/she is responsible for managing strategic programmes for the organisation and ensuring their success. They must therefore be a strategic with the ability to identify key contextual issues which can programming in the organisation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Board, Mission and vision
• Supports the Executive Director and the Deputy Director in aligning ZELA projects and programmes to the strategic direction of the organisation
• Ensure that programmes department actions resolutions of management,ececutive committee, board and board committee meetings are executed.
• Contributes to review of designated policies and ensures that ZELA programmes staff adhere to policies and strategies of the organisation
• Supports the management team and the board in establishing or updating programming risks and organisation development/sustainability needs.

Lead in Activity Planning and Programme administration
• Lead activity planning and execution with the participation and engagement of all relevant stakeholders, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Produce or review or approve and make accessible programmes activity concept notes, requisitions, activity reports, workplans and budget information and other requests, as required by relevant stakeholders.
• Prepare or approve and manage contracts with subcontractors, consultants and partners for ZELA projects, with support from colleagues ensuring contractual obligations are met.
• Ensure regular revision of project expenditures and monitoring of the project budgets in line with costed workplans, in collaboration with designated project and finance officers.
• Ensure regular communication with funding partners for ZELA projects and lead project/ programmes department meetings.
• Ensure proper management of the necessary (gender-disaggregated) or social inclusion data/ information related to activity implementation that is required for donor reporting and monitoring and evaluation, in close collaboration with project staff.
• Establish resource requirements for successful implementation of projects and ensure teams can access these resources, after getting approvals.
• Apply strategic, creative, and innovative thinking to mentor, coach and support project officers.
• Coordinate the development of research, technical papers or other publications to guide the implementation of programming component of the organization’s strategic plan.
• Facilitate production of a programmes risk register and facilitate monthly programme department meetings

Programmes management
• Lead Project Management (PMU) leads and other officers in the programmes department in executing environmental governance projects
• In liaison with management, coordinate roll out of the programme activities in line with the workplan as broadly guided by issues papers and the broad strategic plan
• Review fundraising/resource mobilisation proposals from project officers, provide programming guidance and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Collaborate with the MEAL team in collating evidence on progress against organisation’s indicators and results on a rolling basis and contribute towards evaluative preparedness for programme research, reviews, assessments or evaluations.
• Provide capacity development support (training, mentoring and coaching) to the programmes team, on project design and implementation using appropriate tools.
• To support review of project strategies and, based on evidence and lessons learnt, review of reports and alignment or modifications to project document.
• Establish, organize and monitor interconnectedness of all projects and coordinate cross-project activities
• Prepare programme reports for internal and external stakeholders
Human Resources Management:
• Establish staffing requirements that enable the programmes department to achieve their stated objectives and request employment.
• Oversee recruitment and onboarding of programmes department staff, interns and volunteers
• Manage and approve timesheets for the programmes department and monitor the usage of supplies, equipment, and materials of projects.
• Monitor weekly workplans and reporting accountability obligations of the programmes department including project activity reports.
• Conduct performance reviews for Project Leads and develop capacity development programs, coaching and mentoring.

Resource Mobilization:
• It is of critical importance that the incumbent possesses the skill and ability to effectively tell the organization’s story, needs and services that it provides.
• Actively participate and in some cases lead proposal development processes.
• Scan the environment for potential funding sources for implementation of strategic programmes of the organisation.
• Ensure good relations are maintained between the organization and various project donors.
• Participate in the planning and execution of various fundraising events.

Stakeholder Engagement
• Liaise with project stakeholders to gather input and feedback into activity planning and implementation, with careful consideration for equity, diversity and inclusion of potentially marginalised groups such as women and youth.
• Ensure the project’s grievance mechanism is in place and available to stakeholders thoroughly.
• Respond to requests for information by project beneficiaries and stakeholders, as well as potential new stakeholders.
• Regularly engage and communicate with funding partners to ensure main project updates are shared on an ongoing basis, including donor reporting tools as well as ad hoc communications.
• Ensure proactively sharing of information related to activity implementation with the Communications Officer and guiding their publications and social media data/information before posting publicly.
• Coordinate direct communication, information or data requests to the programmes department, from management or other departments of the organisation.
• · Identify and develop strategic partnerships for successful implementation of programmes

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience working in a project management role, preferably including responsibility for a USD1m+ donor funded international development programme
• Relevant degree or equivalent programming experience in Environmental Sciences, Mining, Development, Political sciences, Natural resources management/governance, Human rights, Law, or Governance
• Master degree in any of the above areas will be an added advantage and highly recommended for
this position.
• Strong interest and experience in policy research, advocacy and knowledge generation
• Being a lawyer, is an added advantage
• Demonstrated experience in a role requiring management of multiple project stakeholders, in particular government
Strong reporting skills and fluency in English; knowledge of other languages spoken in Zimbabwe are considered an asset
• Demonstrated experience in setting new projects, with understanding of integrated results-based programming, gender equality issues and rights-bases approaches is considered an asset

Competencies:
• Excellent organizational skills: planning, problem solving, reporting, budgeting and time management skills: demonstrated ability to prioritize while managing a complex workload, leveraging on IT skills with strong Microsoft office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Strong leadership: Leading by example, networking/relationship building skills, with the ability to anticipate, coordinate and facilitate activities with colleagues and build high-level relationships with funding partners, governmental officials and other key stakeholders
• Excellent attention to detail: strong analytical skills, able to review, understand and analyse policies, legal frameworks and other tools utilised by the organisation, with a commitment to values of the organisation.
• Results driven/oriented: Ability to align programme activities to the results framework and theory of change of the organisation.
• Autonomy: High capacity to work independently, respecting deadlines with minimal supervision working towards outputs against tight deadlines and multiple priorities.
Team coordination skills: ability to negotiate, influence and facilitate activities with the team.
• Intuitive and pro-active: ability to identity risks, potential issues, needs, threats or opportunities and brings these to the attention of management or relevant personnel
• Adaptive: Ability to adapt to and work effectively on complex issues in a fast-paced environment, working under pressure, managing competing priorities and maintaining a professional approach.
• Good interpersonal skills: with an ability to work as an individual and as part of a team in a multicultural environment with excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills in a range of contexts and with actors from the private sector, government and civil society, with an ability to work with both senior and junior officials/stakeholders, enthusiastically, and interested in learning within a political, changing and diverse work environment that requires constant adaptation

How to Apply

To apply
Candidates are asked to clearly demonstrate in their applications how they meet the requirements of the position. Send the following information by email to [email protected] by 30 March 2025
• A cover letter explaining your interest in the position (maximum 2 pages)
• Your curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages)
• Preferred salary expectations
In the subject of the email please state: the position you are applying for.